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How To Fail In 3 Easy Steps

One of my pet peeves is how much fake advice out there is actually completely useless. Pick up any magazine and you’ll be flooded with “tips” that are in essence, what I like to call fluff. Before you know it, you’ll have so many useless tips you’ll actually just be so overwhelmed you won’t do anything. I recently cancelled one of my magazine subscriptions because it was such a colossal waste of my time (and trees at that).

Here are 3 I have seen that I call my favorites because they made me either laugh out loud or roll my eyes. (Yes, these are real tips from real magazines that I have actually read with my own eyes.)

FLUFFY TIP #1 – “One trip to the grocery store burns 200 calories”

OK, the reason this tip makes me so infuriated is this: if we are supposed to believe that simply running errands or vacuuming sessions at our home are the key to burning those extra unwanted pounds away, then every human in the entire world would be fit. I mean, what quicker way to depress someone by implying that it’s as easy as picking up cans and boxes of cereal off the shelves and into your buggy, and bam!...you’re one of the lean people!..Just think...with every jar of spaghetti sauce you lift into your cart, you’re saying bye-bye to baby weight! I read one article that headlined how a certain celeb mom got “back in shape by wearing her toning tennis shoes every time she went to the grocery store.” Seriously?! This creates a false expectation, especially for women. It’s plain crap.

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW: There IS a way to be fit in just minutes a day, if you do the RIGHT things. You need a structured, pre-planned workout routine that includes strength training to burn the most calories. A combination of resistance and cardio together for 30 minutes is more effective than hours of cardio alone. It also sculpts your muscles, actually making them cling closer to your bones, literally making you look smaller, while also making you burn more fat because you are stronger. Is it completely sarcastic of me to also note that this will make pushing your buggy through the supermarket a tad bit easier?

FLUFFY TIP #2 – “Climbing trees with your kids is a fun way to get fit.”

All I have to say about this one is, how many parents out there are literally climbing their Oak up and down NONSTOP 3-4 times a week for a long enough time period (say 30 minutes) to actually sculpt their bodies and lose fat? (This gets funnier the longer you visualize it, actually.) I mean, scaling the Magnolia in your front yard ONCE is most definitely not going to get the job done, so is this a realistic exercise option? Please write me and send in any before and afters from ANYONE out there who has succeeded with this as a fitness plan….

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW: Playing with your kids is a given. You should do it. If you want to be fit, absolutely incorporate a few activities to get your kids moving with you! But, you also need a real plan for fitness….steady, continuous, measurable exercises about 3-4 times a week for good results.

Cinnamon and cayenne are excellent spices, they add flavor to otherwise boring dishes and are not going to add tons of calories to your meals. That’s about it though. Believing that you can add these into your diet and hope for massive fat burning thermo genic results is a myth.

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW: There is no magic food that shreds fat out of your system like hot lava. You must eat a balanced diet of complex carbs, protein and healthy fats to speed up your metabolism. This is easy to do if you know how.

The common denominator for success with any of the above topics is knowledge. Knowledge gives you confidence in what you’re doing.

Confidence that you have a plan will keep you going on days you are feeling less than motivated.

9Round Fitness is proud to say if you are overwhelmed with how to get fitness results, you can relax, and walk in our doors. We have the fitness program you need, ready to go. We also give you the nutrition advice you need with our exclusive 9Round Nutrition program included with your membership. When you walk out the door, you are armed with the physical and mental tools needed to succeed at fitness, not just for a temporary solution, but for life!

Heather Hudson has been with 9Round since inception in 2008 and is COO and Co-Founder of 9Round Franchising. She is a black belt in Shotokan Karate and grew up with a passion for fitness and overall wellness.